Ukraine Prepares to Deploy Long-Range Ballistic Missile “Hrim-2”

The Ukrainian missile “Hrim-2” is nearly ready for deployment, according to Yehor Chernev, head of the Ukrainian delegation to NATO. “Believe me, there will soon be concrete results that will be seen not only by Ukraine but also by the Russian Federation,” Chernev stated. This was reported by The Telegraph.

The “Hrim-2” is a single-stage solid-fuel ballistic missile capable of carrying a warhead weighing approximately 500 kg, likely using inertial guidance. It represents a significant advancement compared to Ukraine’s previous top combat missile, the “Tochka,” which dates back to the 1970s.

Ukraine has been developing the “Hrim-2” for the past ten years. In the years leading up to the full-scale Russian invasion that began in February 2022, the project was a low priority, with funding consistently posing a challenge.

Following the start of the full-scale invasion, Ukrainian engineers, working under fire, finally completed the design and construction of the first few “Hrim-2” missiles. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the first successful test of the new missile back in August.

The “Hrim-2” will provide Ukraine with its first heavy deep-strike capability, freeing the country from the constraints imposed by its key allies. The United States, the United Kingdom, and France have supplied Ukraine with precision munitions that have a range of hundreds of kilometers. However, all three nations prohibit Ukraine from using these munitions against targets within Russia.

These restrictions have led to an imbalance in firepower, with Russia launching thousands of drone, ballistic, and cruise missile strikes against Ukrainian cities, bases, and industrial sites each month. In contrast, Ukrainians infrequently retaliate, relying on only dozens of much lighter munitions, primarily drones.

Zelensky and other Ukrainian officials have urged their American, British, and French counterparts to lift the restrictions on deep strikes using foreign weaponry, but these requests have gone unanswered. With the “Hrim-2,” Ukrainians will no longer need to seek permission. The only limitation for Ukrainian strikes against Russian targets, both in Moscow and beyond, will be the pace of production.

Once the “Hrim-2” missiles begin to reach front-line units, an increase in Ukrainian strikes against targets within Russia is anticipated, and these strikes are expected to be more destructive. However, it should not be expected that these attacks will have an immediate and obvious impact on the front lines in Ukraine. The shortage of deep-strike munitions is not Ukraine’s most significant issue; rather, the greater challenge lies in the lack of trained forces.

The destruction of a Russian airbase, factory, or oil refinery could suppress Russian airstrikes, gradually halt the supply of heavy weaponry to Russian forces, and squeeze the Russian economy as a whole. Russian President Putin may even face the prospect of strikes aimed at him personally, in retaliation for the numerous attempts by Russia to eliminate Zelensky.

“After four years of war, Russia maintains a sustained advantage in manpower, despite staggering battlefield losses, which recently average around 1,000 to 1,500 killed and wounded per day. Ukrainian losses are significantly lower, but in strategic terms, this is unlikely to make a difference,” notes The Telegraph.

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